Wire character forming printing machine



p 1953- w. woc'KENFuss WIRE CHARACTER FORMING PRINTING MACHINE 6Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 26, 1948 INVENTOR. William Woakmss,

Sept. 29, 1953 w. WOCKENFUSS 2,653,534

WIRE CHARACTER FORMING PRINTING MACHINE Filed June 26, 1948 6Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Mlliam Wockelzfiws,

Sept. 29, 1953 w. woclgzNr-uss WIRE CHARACTER FORMING PRINTING MACHINE 6Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 26, 1948 IN V EN TOR. Wockanmss',

JKLMNOPGRSTUVWXYZ \25456789 lapmzluzsu zszevuzswslszuussse 0 P 29, 1953w. wocKENFuss 2,653,534

WIRE CHARACTER FORMING PRINTING MACHINE F'iled June 26, 1948 6Sheets-Sheet 4 g a BEMKM Sept. 29, 1953 Filed June 26, 1948 W.WOCKENFUSS WIRE CHARACTER FORMING PRINTING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 I31mm Sept. 29, 1953 w. WOCKENFUSS WIRE CHARACTER FORMING PRINTINGMACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 26, 1948 '1 INVENTOR. ltllialllllh'kenflms,

fffrlffffrrlrtffrlffffffu Patented Sept. 29, 1953 William Wock'enfuss,Union, N. .L, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Burroughs Addinl Machine Company, a corporation at Michigan App anc J e 26, 1948.,'serialso; 3 5430:

c Glaims. (o1. mi-.193)

This invention relates to improvements in printing machines and hasparticularreference to a machine wherein a plurality of printing headsare each utilized for printing different characters.

Printing units are known wherein a multiplicity of printing elements inthe form of wires are selectively operated by various means toconstitute diiferent characters. Also, it hasjbeen common practice tocontrol the setting of type bars of statistical record card machines toprint alphabetic characters, represented in a card by acombinationalcode consisting of zonal and nu merical designations usually in the formof perforations located at index point positions in said card, bysuccessively sensing said designations at two separated card analyzingstations. Further, in machines known as alphabetic interpreters, whereincards are punched with nue l de t ons an lso th an alpha? beticcombinational code and wherein said deseignations in both instances areinterpreted and the c ar ters presented the e y a e nte on i a d itaesbee pr po ed to empl a si l ca d ana zin s at o pas ich eh card s fedat e nt S ee s. one r t e en'- alys o n y t e hume eel e i na ions a dthe other for the interpretation of the o mnational code. A

In accordance with one feature of the present invention, the control ofa unit utilizedto print both munerical and alphabetic characters isaccomplished by means of a single card analyzing station past which eachcard is fed at a uniform rate of speed and at which the numerical andalphabetic designations are successively analyzed to control said unit.t

Another feature of the invention resides in forming a printnnit of aplurality of printing elements selectable in various combinatipns each pb f p ntin a dif e e he ete 33 3. in eeh re s the op a on of s eeted embinatien o aid el m nt rom a sin e record alyz n stat on at. i h zo aland numer cal designations identifying alphabetic charace The above andother features will appear more clearly from the following detaileddescription when taken in connection'with the accompanying drawings; butit is to be expressly understood that saiddrawings are employed merelyto facilit'at'e the description of the invention as a whole and not todefine the limits thereof, reference being had to the appended claimsfor this purpose.

'h he ra in s: Figs. 1 and 2, when combined, illustrate,diagramniatically, the cir'cnits involved in the com trol of one of theprinting heads of the machine; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of one ofthe printing heads;

Fig. 4 is a view showing the type of character adapted to be printed bysaid head;

Fig; 5 is a view of a record card which may be *employedin the operationof the machine and showing thereon the code for recording alphabeticaland numerical characters;

I Fig. '6 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section of a portion ofthe machine illustrating a card feeding and analyzing mechanism which mbeempl vedi I Fig. 7 is a similar view of a mechanism for feedingenvelopes, cards, or the like to the printing mechanism which operatesto print analyzed e n the impr s ion cei e ri F 8 i a erti l'el ah n e hprinting ieh i he meeh heeh ass at rts;

Fig. 9 is a bottom plan'view of the printing upon which are mounted theoperating memh re e e e ee ei r nt a s: e d

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary edge elevation of said panel and the operatingmembers thereon.

The invention is illustrated in its application to an addressing machinewherein record cards punched accordance with any "predetermined code maybe 1 zed to control in a single operation the Si taneous printing of aplurality of lines of complete characters constituting an address, butit willbe understood that a continuoustape or other suitable controlmeans may be employed and'that data other than addresses may be printedwithout departing from the spirit or scope or the invention.

In carrying out the fundamental principle of simultaneous multi-lineprinting, the invention provides a print section generally indicated at40 (Figs. 7 and 9) which comprises a multiplicity of banks or rows ofprinting devices or heads with each bank being representative of a lineof printing, there being three of such banks 4|, 42 and 43 shown forpurposes of illustration. The number of these banks and of the heads 44in each of them may be varied :at will since this merely involves aduplication of parts. The detailed construction and assembly of theprinting heads and associated parts will be fully described hereinafterbut, for purposes of the description to immediately follow, it isdesired to explain that each of these heads 44 comprises,

as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 3 and structurally shown inFigs. 10 and 11, thirtyfive tubes 45 arranged in a rectangle and througheach of which extends a printing element 46 in the form of a Bowden wireadapted to be projected from its normal position of Fig. 11 to form, bysuch projection, one portion of a character such as a numeral or aletter of the al phabet so that when a plurality of wires in the variousheads 44 are selected and then simultaneously operated, in a manner topresently appear, they will combine to form the desired completecharacters. Thus, as diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4,the selection of wires 46 indicated in Fig. 3 by the numerals 2, 3, 4,5, l0, ll, l5, l6, l1, l8, I9, 28, 2|, 25, 25, 30, 3| and 35 will formthe letter A of Fig. 4 and, as indicated in Fig. 2, the letter B can beformed in any one of the various heads 44 by the selection of the wires45 in said head designated by the numerals applied to the variouscontacts of the relay marked B. In the same manner, the remainingletters of the alphabet and the numerals 1 to 9 may be formed in any ofthe printing heads by the proper selection and operation of the wires 45which, combined, constitute the desired characters to be printedthereby.

The circuit of Figs. 1 and 2 is individual to one printing head 44 and,in the specific application herein illustrated, to one column of a cardill which is of a type well known in the tabulating art. Fig. 5 showsone of these cards punched with an alphabetical and numerical code whichmay be employed for recording an address or other data, and whereintwelve digital positions or index points are provided for each columncorresponding to the letters of the alphabet, with the zoning points 12,11 and being first to be sensed and being assigned, respectively, to thegroups of letters A to I, J to R and S to Z, and with each letter havingfurther assigned thereto in its column one of the other digital indexpoints 1 to 9 so that two points are utilized for the interpretation ofeach letter of the alphabet, as distinguished from the single indexpoint for each of the numerals 1 to 9. In this code, and throughout thecircuit, the character formation of the letter and the digit 0 are thesame.

In said circuit, there is provided, for each column of the card 4'. tobe analyzed, a group of decoding and storing relays generally indicatedat 48 and controlled by a distributor 49 having a continuously rotatingwiper 55, operating in synchronism with similar wipers in all thecircuits, to successively engage with individual terminals of the relaysof said roup to energize said relays when the analyzing brush individualto a card column makes contact with a conducting segment 52 of a commonconducting roller through per-- forations in said column as the card 41passes beneath the brush. Operatively associated with the group ofrelays is a set of thirty-five selectable character-identifying relaysarranged in four groups 53, 54, and 56 representing the letters of thealphabet and the digits 1 to 9. As shown in Fig. 2, each relay of thevarious groups is provided with a series of contacts 5? which combine,when the relay is energized immediately following the complete analysisof the card 4?, to establish circuits for the energization of certain ofthe thirty-five solenoids of the group 58 all of which are associatedwith the single printing head 44, and those that are energized beingindividual to the correspondingly numbered contacts 5! of said relay.Each solenoid controls one of the printing elements or wires 46 to impelthe same outwardly of the tube 45 in which it is mounted and thisoperation is so rapid as to be simultaneous, thus enabling the printingsurface to be moved uninterruptedly past the printing section 40 whilethe character formed by the energized group of solenoids and their wiresis being printed or otherwise impressed upon said surface. The circuitsindividual to all the remaining heads operate in the same general manneras described so that all the selected groups of solenoids in the variouscircuits are simultaneously energized at the conclusion of the cardanalysis and the complete record punched said card will besimultaneously rinted by the three banks 4|, 52 and :33 of the printingsection 40.

With the card :i'l in the position of Fig. 1 and traveling in thedirection of the arrow, the brush 5! over the first column is about toenter the #12 zoning hole therein and the conducting segment of thecontrol commutator 59 for the relays 48 has engaged its wiper 68 so thatwhen said brush 5| makes contact with the conducting element 52 through.the perforation in the card, an energizing circuit for the zoning relay12 of group 48 is established from the line conductor 8| through thebrush 5! and segment 52, the brush 62, contacts closed by the card lever64 when a card is in sensing position, wiper 50 then engaged withterminal #12 of the distributor 49, winding of said relay, and thencethrough the commutator 59 to the other line conductor 65. The commutatorsegments for all the other circuits associated with the remainingcolumns of the card operate in synchronisrn with the one illustrated.Relay 12 of group it energizes and locks up through its front contact 1for the duration of the engagement of the wiper with the conductingsegment of the commutator and energization of said relay also opens itsback contact :22) and closes its front contact 320. Opening of the backcontact I212 disconnects the line conductor 65 from the group or"character relays 55, and closure of the front contact its connects therelay group 53 to said conductor, thereby predetermining the selectionand energization of one of the relays in the latter group. The firstcolumn brush 5| next encounters the #1 hole in the card 41 which,together with the #12 hole in the code illustrated, identifies theletter A. When said #1 hole is sensed, relay 1 of group 48 energizes ina circuit extending through wiper 50 now engaged with terminal #1 of thedistributor, and is locked up through its front contact I a. Closure ofthe front contact lb located adjacent the A relay 53 prepares a circuitfor the energization of said relay when the conducting segment ofcommutator 66, which segment is similarly positioned on the commutatorsin all the circuits, engages its wiper 61 which occurs at the conclusionof the complete analysis of the card 4'! and just before the conassess;

ducting segment of commutator 59 disengages from its wiper 60; Duringthe next card sensing and printing cycle in which the brushes of all thecommutators 56 are on the non-conducting segments thereof, the surfacebeing printed will be moved a distance one line space in excess of thecombined height of the spaced rows of print heads 4|, 42 and 43 so thatat the next printing operation in said cycle the three lines of printingwill be properly spaced from the previously printed lines. The circuitfor energizing the relay 53 for forming the letter B is prepared in thesame mam nor by the brush 5|, associated with the second card column,successively sensing the #12 and #2 holes in the card, andall theremaining letters of the alphabet are similarly prepared for printing bythe individual relays of groups 53, 54"and 55 under control of thedifferent zoning relays 12, 11 and in combination with the other relaysof group :18. It will be noted that with respect to group 55, the relay1 of group 48 h'a's'no front contact similar to the contact lb sincethere is no 0, 1 combination in the code employed, and it will befurther seen regarding said grou that the front contact 9a of the zoningrelay '0 is in series with back cointacts ic, 2c, etc. of the respectiverelays 1 to 9 of group 48. Said back contacts are provided for thealternate control of the relay in group 54 representing the character 0either as a letter or a digit. It win be observed that when a brush 5!senses a 0 perforation in the card, the front contact @a of'the relay 0of group 48 will be closed and this would normally result in theselection of the relay group '55 which controls the printing of lettersS to 'Z, and such result would obtain if another hole'were punched inthe card column being sensed. However if the 0 perforation is the onlyone in said column, then none of the series of back contacts Ic, 20,etc. of the various relays 1 to 9 of group '48 would be open, and sincethe front contact lie of relay H serving the group 55 is not closed atthis time, an energizing circuit is prepared for the relay of group 54representing the character 0. This circuit, which 'is closed bycommutator 55, extends from conductor 6| through said commutator,winding of said 0 relay in group54, conductor 88, the back contacts [0,20, etc. of allrelays l to 9, and thence through the front contact 0a tothe line conductor 65. Thus, the analysis of the single'ilhole in thecard column will result in the printing of the digit O.- From theforegoing, it will now be obvious that if only an index pointrepresenting one of the digits 1 to '9 is punched in a column, no zoningrelay will be energized in group 38 and therefore all the back contacts121). ill) and ab of said relay will remain closed to thus prepare acircuit for one of the relays in group as depending upon which oneof'the relays 1 to 9 in group 48 is energized by the sensing of a'corres'ponding'hole in the card 'd'l.

Referring now to'FigJZQit will be apparent that when the wiper t! ofcommutatorlis of each of the control circuits engages its conductingsegment, all of the individual circuits which have been prepared for therelays in groups 53 to '56 of said various control circuits'will beclosed simultaneously and said'relays will thereupon be energized'toestablish energizing circuits for the respective groups of solenoidsassigned to said relays. Immediately after such energization, the wiperiii 'o'f the commutator "59' 'disengages from it's conducting segment toopen the locking circuits for therelay'group 4'8 of'each contrdl circuitand when the wipers G7 ofthe ccmmutators '63 6 in the various controlcircuits disengage. from their'conducting segments the nergizingcireuit's of the relay groups '53 to 56 in each circuit are also openedto release said relays in preparation for the next card analysis. Forexample, when the relay which controls the printing of the letter A isenergized in the circuit described therefor, its various numberedcontacts are closed and circuits are established for energizingsolenoids in the group 58 which are correspondingly n urnbered. Adescription of one of these circuitsiw ill be sufficient for anunderstanding of the manner in which all of the solenoids are energized.Thus, upon energizati-on of said relay, a circuit is established for the#2 solenoid extending from the line conductor Bla connected to the samesource of current as the conductor 6|, through the winding of the #2solenoid, the common bus 69, the conductor 10, the #2 contact of saidrelay, the common conductor H, and thence over the line conductor 6511.Through the other contacts 51 of the relay, the remaining solenoids ofthe group controlled thereby are similarly energized over obviouscircuits to effect the simultaneous operation of the printing elementsor wires 46 connected to said solenoids so that said wires will combineto print the letter A on a suitable surface. All of the remainingalphabetical and numerical relays in the various groups 53 to '56associated with each of the printing heads are onergized simultaneouslywith the relay just described by the pulse which is transmitted throughthe circuit by the commutator 66, thus resulting in the simultaneousoperation of all the selected printing heads in the threebanks 4!,4-2and 43 From the foregoing description, it will now be obvious thatduring a single cycle of operation of the machine, which begins with thefeed of one card under the brushes 5| and concludes when the conductingsegments of the 'comm'uta'tor's 6.5 of the various print head circuitsdisengage from their respective brushes 61, the card is decoded and theinformation read therefrom is caused to be printed at the various printheads M before the start of the analysis of the next succeeding card.

As an example of a structural arrangement .by which the invention may becarried into effect. reference is had to Figs. 6 to 13. When empl oyingpunched cards 41 in the transmission of dat'a, the same may be stackedin a feed magazine 12 (Fig. 5) from which they are fed at a-uniform rateof speed by a conventional reciprocating picker mechanism '33 in amanner well known in the tabulating art. As the cards successively leavethe magazine, they are fed between the sets of feed rollers it which arecontinuously'drivenat a constant speed by any suitable means so-ithatthe cards will be analyzed in flight by the sensing brushes 5! eachindividual to a card column, and from said feed roller 14 the cards aredischarged into a pocket '15.'

Any impression receiving surface, such as an envelope, card, sheet orthe like is adapted .to be fed to the printing'section 49 in timedrelation to the sensing of the cards 41 so that said surface will be inprinting position at the instant that the commutator 66 becomeseffective to instantaneously energize the various selected groups ofsolenoids individual to the different printing heads in th banks '41 42andl 3t As shown :in Fig. *7, a magazine 76 may receive a stack ofenvelopes ll or the like which arefed therefrom'wby thepicker mechanism78 similar'to the mechanism 13' and operable'in synchronismetherewith byany Known means (not shown).

e envelopes are I fed from the magazine I6 to the guide 19, then alongthe latter by constantly driven pairs of feed rollers 80, and thencebetween two additional pairs of rollers 8| on opposite sides of theprinting section 40 and beneath an inking ribbon 82 guided by the upperrollers of the latter pairs as it is fed from the reel 83 by anysuitable mechanism. As the envelope reaches its printing positionbeneath the banks of printing heads, the selected solenoids aresimultaneously operated to cause their Bowden wires 46 to impress,through the ribbon 82, the various preselected characters in each bankand thereby simultaneously print a plurality of lines equal to thenumber of banks in the printing section.

Figs. 8 to 11 illustrate the construction and assembly of the printingheads which are divided into groups of three with each group mounted inan elongated supporting unit 84 and uniformly spaced therein by blocks85 so as to constitute the three banks or rows 4! to 43 when the unitsare individually positioned in their supporting frame. Each unit isprovided with a pin 85 at its closed end adapted to engage in a notch inthe end plate 88 of said supporting frame. Secured to the xtremities ofsaid plate are the brackets 89 and 50 and to the latter there is pivotedthe lock bar 9! shown open in 8 and having a flange 92 adapted to engagethe shouldered filler blocks 93 (Figs. 7 and 9) disposed in the unitswhen said bar is swung closed and locked to the bracket 89, thereby tosupport and retain the units 84 and their printing heads in properposition. Each of the blocks 93 has welded or otherwise aflixed theretoa mounting plate 04 (Figs. 7 and 8) and this series of plates issupported in position by a frame consisting of two end mem-- here orplates 95 connected together by tie rods 9*3 extending through saidmembers and th lower end of the main housing 91. Upper and lower combs98 are fastened to the members and receive the ends of the plates 94 tomaintain the same in spaced relation, and the tie rods 96 are joined bybraces 99. The frame members 95 are supported above the print section 40by angle arms I00 secured at their lower ends to the brackets 89 and 90and provided with lugs ici through which the tie rods 96 extend.

Associated with each of the mounting plates 94 is a panel I02 (Figs. 8and 12) upon opposite sides of the insulated frame I03 of which aresupported the solenoids 58 for three of the printing heads 44. Eachpanel is connected to its mounting plate by straps I04 made of resilientmetal so as to permit the panels to be adjusted and spaced in upwardlydiverging relation, as shown in Fig. 8. Flanges I05 (Fig. 12) carried bythe main housing 97 engage in notches I08 in the upper portions of theside edges of the panel frames I03, and pins I07 also carried by saidhousing adja cent the lower portions of the panels form stops whichmaintain said panels in their diverging relationship against the actionof th resilient straps I04.

Since twenty mounting plates M and sixty printing heads 44 are shown,each panel I02 carried by a plate 94 has mounted thereon three sets ofsolenoids 58, one for each of the heads 44 disposed within one of theunits 04. Thus, as illustrated in Figs. '7, 12 and 13, two groups oftwenty-two and one group of eighteen solenoids are mounted on one faceof the side and top sections of the insulated frame I03 of the panel,and on the opposite face of the side sections thereof and associatedwith the two mentioned groups are two other groups of thirteen solenoidseach, while on the opposed face of said top section there would be agroup of seventeen solenoids to pair with the other group of eighteen onsaid top section. Therefore, for the three printing heads served by eachpanel, there are three groups each consisting of thirty-five solenoids.The various Bowden wires 46 leading from the solenoids on the front faceof the panel are extended downwardly beneath the retaining straps I08and I09 secured to the panel I02 and associated plate 94, respectively,and the wires from the solenoids on the rear face of the panel areextended through an aperture III] in said panel where they join thewires leading from the front solenoids, and then all of the wires areconnected to their respective printing heads.

What is claimed is:

1. In a printing machine under control of records wherein alphabeticcharacters are each identified by means of a combinational codeconsisting of two selectively disposed designations one of which iszonal and the other numerical, said machine comprising a singleanalyzing station having means thereat for successively sensing both thezonal and numerical designations of said code, means to feed recordsseriatim past said sensing means, a print unit including a plurality ofprinting elements each selectively operable in combination with othersto form any one of a plurality of complete characters during a singleoperation of said elements, character-identifying electromagneticdevices each representing a different character and each controlling theoperation of a different combination of printing elements, meansresponsive to the sensing of the zonal and numerical designations of arecord at said single analyzing station for selecting theelectromagnetic device which identifies the character represented bysaid sensed designations, means thereupon operable to energize theselected electromagnetic device, and means controlled by theenergization thereof for imparting a single operation to the combinationof printing elements to print the complete character identiiied by saidselected electromagnetic device.

2. In a printing machine under control of records wherein alphabeticcharacters are each identified by means of a ccmbinational codeconsisting of two selectively disposed designations one of which iszonal and the other numerical, said machine comprising a singleanalyzing station having means thereat for successively sensing both thezonal and numerical designations of said code, means to feed recordsseriatim past said sensing means, a print unit including a plurality ofprinting elements each selectively operable in combination with othersto form any one of a plurality of complete characters during a singleoperation of said elements, groups of character-identifyingelectromagnetic devices each representing a different character and eachcontrolling the operation of a different combination of printingelements, a plurality of decoding relays, one for each zonal andnumerical designation, energized by the sensing of designationsidentifying the alphabetic character to be printed, means controlled bythe energization of two of said relays to select a group of saidelectromagnetic devices and a single device in the selected group, and aplurality of other electromagnetic devices, one for each printingelement of the combination identified by a selected first namedelectromagnetic device, controlled by the latter device for operatingthe printing elements of said identified combination.

3. In a printing machine under control of records wherein alphabeticcharacters are each identified by means of a combinational codeconsisting of two selectively disposed designations one of which iszonal and the other numerical, said machine comprising a singleanalyzing station having means thereat for successively sensing both thezonal and numerical designations of said code, means to feed recordsseriatim past said sensing means, a plurality of print heads eachcomprising a multiplicity of printing elements selectable in variouscombinations to identify different characters, operating devices foreach of said printing elements activated, after selection of acombination thereof, to print the character identified by the selectedcombination, a plurality of character-identifying electromagneticdevices for each print head arranged in groups with each device assignedto one of the characters to be printed by said head and each having amultiplicity of contacts each individual to one of said operatingdevices, circuits connecting said contacts with their associatedoperating devices to activate the latter when said electromagneticdevice is energized to close its contacts, means to simultaneouslyenergize selected electromagnetic devices of all said print heads, and agroup of decoding relays assigned to each print head and controlled bysaid card analyzing means for selecting one of the electromagneticdevices of said head for energization, said group including zoningrelays each having a contact connecting the same to one of said groupsof electromagnetic devices and the remaining relays of said decodinggroup having a plurality of contacts each connecting an electromagneticdevice of one of said groups to said energizing means through one ofsaid zoning relay contacts.

4:. In a printing machine under control of records wherein alphabeticcharacter are each identified by means of a combinational codeconsisting of two selectively disposed designations one of which iszonal and the other numerical, said machine comprising a singleanalyzing station having means thereat for successively sensing both thezonal and numerical designations of said code, means to feed recordsseriatim past said sensing means, a plurality of print heads eachcomprising a multiplicity of printing elements selectable in variouscombinations to identify different characters, operating devices foreach of said printing elements activated, after selection of acombination thereof, to print the character identified by the selectedcombination, a plurality of character-identifying electromagneticdevices for each print head arranged in groups with each device assignedto One of the characters to be printed by said head and each having amultiplicity of contacts each individual to one of said operatingdevices, circuit connections between said contacts and their associatedoperating devices to activate the latter when said electromagneticdevice is energized to close its contacts, means to simultaneouslyenergize selected electromagnetic devices of all said print heads, and agroup of decoding relays, one for each index point position of a card,assigned to each print head and controlled by said card analyzing meansfor selecting one of the electromagnetic devices of said head forenergization, said group including zoning relays each having a contactconnecting the same to one of said groups of electromagnetic devices,the remaining relays of said decoding group having a plurality ofcontacts each connecting an electromagnetic device of oneof saidvgroupsto said energizing means through one of said zoning relay contacts, saidzoning relays having other normally closed contacts in series with theelectromagnetic devices of one of the groups thereof, and said remaininrelays of the decoding group having normally closed contacts in serieswith an electromagnetic device of another of said groups.

5. In a printing machine under control of records wherein alphabeticcharacters are each identified by means of a combinational codeconsisting of two selectively disposed designations one of which iszonal and the other numerical, said machine comprising a singleanalyzing station having means thereat for successively sensing both thezonal and numerical designations of said code, means to feed recordsseriatim past said sensing means at a uniform rate of speed, and meanscontrolled by the sensing of both the zonal and numerical designationsin one record at said single analyzing station to print the alphabeticcharacters identified by said code before the next succeeding recordbeing fed to said station reaches a sensing position thereat, said lastnamed means comprising a plurality of print units arranged to print aplurality of lines of characters on a single impression-receivingsurface simultaneously each said unit comprising a plurality of printingelements selectable in various combinations each capable of printing adifferent one of said characters, means controlled by said recordsensing means to select a combination of printing elements in each ofsaid print units, and means thereupon operable to simultaneously actuatethe selected printing elements of all of said units to print saidplurality of lines.

6. In a printing machine under control of records wherein alphabeticcharacters are each identified by means of a combinational codeconsisting of two selectively disposed designations one of which iszonal and the other numerical, said machine comprising a singleanalyzing station having means thereat for successively sensing both thezonal and numerical designations of said code, means to feed recordsseriatim past said sensing means at a uniform rate of speed, and meanscontrolled by the sensing of both the zonal and numerical designationsin one record at said analyzing station to print the alphabeticcharacters identified by said code before the next succeeding recordbeing fed to said station reaches a sensing position thereat, said lastnamed mean comprising a plurality of print units arranged to print aplurality of lines of characters on a single impression-receivingsurface simultaneously each said print unit comprising a plurality ofprinting elements selectable in various combinations each capable ofprinting a diiferent one of said characters, an electromagnetic deviceindividual to each of said combinations of printing elements in eachprint unit, circuits in each print unit connected'to the sensing meansat the said analyzing station for selectively energizing anelectromagnetic device in said unit in response to the sensing of acombinational code at said station, means to then energize the selectedelectromagnetic devices in all said print units simultaneously, andmeans controlled by the energization of said electromagnetic devices tosimultaneously operate the selected combinations of printing elements inall said print units.

WILLIAM WOCKENFUSS.

(References on following page) Number Number Number Name Date BeattieOct. 9, 1945 Paris Apr. 9, 1946 Rabenda Aug. 19, 1947 Johnson Aug. 9,1949 Ruderfer Nov. 1, 1949 Johnson Oct. 3, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS CountryDate Germany Aug. 21, 1933

